Munaf makes his mark

Leonardo di Caprio's histrionics in the movie, Titanic would have won far greater acclaim from critics had it not been for the spiel that a well-oiled public relations machine dished out in the weeks and days preceding the release of the movie. Munaf Patel's situation is not a far cry from the same. For some time now, he has been touted, alternately, as the pace sensation that will rock Australia and as the greenhorn, raw paceman attracting too much credit. Some even likened him to a spoiled child, getting attention when all that was called for was a rap on the knuckles. On his first-class debut, against the New Zealanders at Rajkot, he proved that the truth lay somewhere in-between.

Patel, a big young man of 20, lumbers rather than sprints in to the crease. As he quickens his step, he opens his shoulders, reaches for the popping crease with a pronounced final step and sends the ball down with considerable effort. You're left almost listening for a Jimmy Connors-esque grunt. The arm is high, but not nearly high enough, as there is a bit of space between bowling arm and right ear. The ball zips out of the hand, and has enough weight behind it to climb considerably when banged in short.

It was such a short ball that Mark Richardson received first up, quite literally, on the shoulder, ducking into one that did not quite get up as much as he expected. Perhaps he had been reading about Patel in the local papers as well. From there on, though, Patel settled into an easy rhythm, displaying adequate pace to keep the New Zealand batsmen from committing onto the front foot.

His first spell, while economical, did not produce a wicket. When the players walked off the field for lunch Patel's 7.4 overs (he stepped in to bowl four balls to complete an over after RP Singh twisted his ankle) had cost 21 runs. At lunch, there must have been some talk about the appropriate length to bowl, for Patel began to pitch it up consistently in the second session. While the wicket had something in it for the seamers, both in terms of lateral movement and bounce, there was nothing to fear for the New Zealand batsmen who are more than familiar with conditions that help pace bowling. The effect of switching to a fuller line did not bear immediate fruit as Patel was pummelled for three strident boundaries by Stephen Fleming in the first over he bowled after lunch.

Then came a 15-ball spell of three wickets for five runs that vindicated the faith people have in Patel. Fleming looked to leave one outside off at the last moment and nicked the ball back onto his stumps. Scott Styris then tickled one fine and Deep Dasgupta held a diving catch low and to his left. Both these wickets came with a little help from his friends, but Patel could confidently claim his next scalp - the prize one of Nathan Astle - as his very own. A sharp delivery ducking in just a trace trapped Astle in front of the stumps, very first ball.

When he returned with the second new ball the inexperience showed, expectedly. After all, this is just his first big game. That would have been the leeway afforded to any other fast-bowling debutant. Patel cannot ask for that, for it is partly the hype that fast-tracked him to this level in the first place. And at the end of the day, as an exercise, it was well worth it. Mark Richardson, who made a dogged unbeaten 128 in over six hours, certainly thought so. "The young Indian lads might have got a bit carried away with the bouncy and carry and bowled a bit short. Perhaps they might have had a bit more success if they had pitched the ball up. The bowlers have promise and certainly have enough pace and bowl a heavy ball."